Newsletter v2n6

"So join the thousands of happy, peppy people and get a great big bottle of ... this stuff." (Lucille Ball, from the "Vitameatavegemin" routine)

The DOCTOR YOURSELF (SM) NEWSLETTER Vol 2, No 6 January 24, 2002 "Free of charge, free of advertising, and free of the A.M.A." Written by Andrew Saul, PhD. of http://www.doctoryourself.com , a free online library of 300 natural healing articles with nearly 4,000 scientific references.

"HELLO, FRIENDS. ARE YOU CONFUSED ABOUT USING OR BUYING VITAMINS? Do your eyes glaze over when you see those rows and rows of shelves of supplements? Do you hear conflicting stories on TV that say vitamins are worthless, or even harmful? Do you poop out at parties? (Sorry; It's that "Lucy" bit again...) Well, the answers to your problem are in this little list."

Here's quick-click guide what NEWSLETTER readers may want to know:

TABLETS, CAPSULES, LIQUID OR POWDER? http://www.doctoryourself.com/tabtable.html (This is a brand new article, with reference links within it.)

TABLETING INGREDIENTS ("Excipients") http://www.doctoryourself.com/labels.html

IF TABLETS UPSET YOUR STOMACH http://www.doctoryourself.com/tabtaking.html

6 Powerful Answers for when under-informed people badmouth megadose nutritional supplements:

1) SUPPLEMENT SAFETY http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_factoids.html (by Abram Hoffer, M.D., Ph.D.)

2) NEWS MEDIA OBJECTIONS http://www.doctoryourself.com/antivitamin.html

3) DOCTORS' OBJECTIONS http://www.doctoryourself.com/naturedoc.html and http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_paradigm.html (This is a major article, also written by Dr. Hoffer)

4) HOSPITAL OBJECTIONS http://www.doctoryourself.com/hospitals.html

5) LEGAL ASPECTS http://www.doctoryourself.com/strategies.html

6) SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT FOR SUPPLEMENTATION http://www.doctoryourself.com/bibliography.html http://www.doctoryourself.com/werbach.html http://www.doctoryourself.com/antioxidants.html

FOODS THAT WORK LIKE SUPPLEMENTS http://www.doctoryourself.com/foodpill.html

HOW TO GET KIDS TO TAKE VITAMINS http://www.doctoryourself.com/kidsvit.html

AN ALTERNATIVE TO B-12 INJECTIONS http://www.doctoryourself.com/nasal.html

WHY WE NEED FOOD SUPPLEMENTS http://www.doctoryourself.com/kaufman2.html (by William Kaufman, M.D., Ph.D.)

LAWS IN PROGRESS TO RESTRICT YOUR ACCESS TO SUPPLEMENTS http://www.doctoryourself.com/supplement_limit.html

An Important Note: I have no financial connection whatsoever with the supplement industry, or with anyone who markets such products. Commercial use of DOCTOR YOURSELF material is strictly prohibited. This NEWSLETTER contains no advertising and we mean to keep it that way.

DOCTOR YOURSELF WEBSITE OF THE MONTH: http://www.health-heart.org/ has lots of good information on clinical nutrition and vitamin therapeutics. Though I favor higher than the posted doses of vitamin C, I really like this noncommercial site's upbeat, can-do attitude. I also endorse its outspoken criticism of the pharmaceutical industry. There is a cool "Daily Supplement Pyramid" at http://www.health-heart.org/simple.htm and a very clear, short discussion of essential fatty acids at http://www.health-heart.org/vitamins.htm

READERS SAY: "Great website! I noticed you have a page on Lyme disease http://www.doctoryourself.com/lyme.html . Please consider putting in a plug for the homeopathic remedy, Ledum. Ledum in the 1M potency is almost a specific for Lyme disease. I use it in my own practice and have several cures of Lyme disease with it. (I am a homeopath.)

"Regards, "R. F., M.D."

Dr. R. F. (not his real initials) is yet another natural-minded physician who is likely to lose his medical license if State "health" authorities find out that he's successfully treating inflammation without antibiotic drugs. Do not be fooled: the well-entrenched politically powerful pharmaceutical cartel is STILL trying to squash alternative health care wherever it can.

If you think I overstate the case, look at this:

"Dear Dr. Saul, "I have real some of your website information. It is very good. I request your assistance. I am a physician and officer in the U. S. military. I have used nutritional therapies in my civilian practice for several years.

"I had a patient two months ago with severe bronchitis and history of recurrent pneumonia who I gave a 25cc IV push of vitamins C (2500mg), B-complex, B6, Dexpanthenol, Trace minerals, magnesium chloride (1000mg) in 10cc sterile water. This man was not responding well to antibiotic therapy and turned around in 24 hours after the IV. There was a complaint from 2 of my "colleagues" that I was giving nutritional IV's. I now must justify my treatment with documentation. The protocol I use is from Dr. Alan Gaby. There is no regulation against the nutrition I used. It is just that the other doctors think nutritional, especially IV, therapy is quackery.

"Will you provide me with some specific documentation regarding the benefits and safety of nutritional IV's or any other recommendation I can use to satisfy this demand and dismiss the complaints of the "uninformed" doctors with whom I must work?

"Thank you, "G. Y., M.D."

Dear Doctor, One would think that Dr. Gaby's recommendation would be justification in itself. The fact that the patient recovered should also suffice, as I am sure you agree.

Your problem is not an easy one, because whatever information you bring forward will be discounted as scientifically unproven, as out of date, as quackery, as personal promotion, or worse.

Here is my suggested reading list to strengthen your defense: http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_paradigm.html (Abram Hoffer, M.D.) http://www.doctoryourself.com/riordan1.html (Hugh D. Riordan, M.D.) http://www.doctoryourself.com/antivitamin.html http://www.doctoryourself.com/vitciv.html (Robert F. Cathcart, M.D.) http://www.doctoryourself.com/titration.html http://www.doctoryourself.com/klennerpaper.html (Frederick R. Klenner, M.D.)

YOUR FEEDBACK WANTED: Have you ever been denied a natural therapy by a doctor or hospital? Tell your story! Email your experience to me at doctoryourself.com/contact.html

MORE READERS' LETTERS: EPILEPSY AND VITAMIN E "I throughly enjoyed your Newsletter on Vitamin E. In Prevention Magazine, November, 1989, there was an excellent article on Vitamin E and Epilepsy which I am enclosing. "Sharon Myers"

Thank you, Sharon. The PREVENTION article mentioned research s howing that children using antiepileptic medication had reduced p lasma levels of vitamin E, an indication of vitamin E deficiency. So doctors at the University of Toronto gave epileptic children 400 I.U. of vitamin E per day for several months, along with their medication. This combined treatment reduced the frequency of seizures in most of the children by over 60 percent. Half of them "had a 90 to 100 percent reduction in seizures." (Epilepsia, Vol 30, No 1, 1989).

This is a good reference to have, not only for epilepsy, but for proof of the safety of 400 IU of vitamin E per day in children (equivalent to about 800 to 1,200 IU/day for an adult). It also provides a clear example of drug medication c reating vitamin deficiency. In recent years, PREVENTION magazine has greatly changed, and you will likely no longer find articles such as this in it any more. But you now will find pharmaceutical company drug ads. I do miss the good old Rodale PREVENTION. More on epilepsy at http://www.doctoryourself.com/epilepsy.html

DR. RINSE FORMULA "I used to buy this product, but some places have discontinued it. Would you have a list of places that still sell the Dr. Rinse in a can?"

I do not know where to get it in a can, but I can tell you how to make it in a jiffy, right here: http://www.doctoryourself.com/dr_rinse.html

DOCTOR YOURSELF "STEALTH FOOD" OF THE MONTH You have to love a snack with its own website, right? But at http://www.doritos.com , as well as on a package of "Cooler Ranch" tortilla chips, they really play down the junk-food truth: This variety of "Doritos" contains a whole slew of artificial ingredients, including THREE artificial food colors, Yellow Dye Number 5, Red Dye Number 40 and Blue Dye Number 1. I called Frito-Lay (it's their nickel:1-800-352-4477) and I told them that I think readily available, safe natural colors should be used instead, and that I wanted to talk to the boss about it. They passed my call around to a series of cheerful but ineffective people, eventually promising me a call from a Vice President. No such luck. No such call. No such concern from one of the largest empty-food manufacturers in the world. Buy another brand, and call Frito Lay and tell them why.

Want to know the sordid history of the artificial, cancer-promoting sweetener saccharin? http://www.doctoryourself.com/history5.html

Want to read about our past Winners of the DOCTOR YOURSELF "STEALTH FOOD" AWARD? http://www.doctoryourself.com/stealthfoods.html

COMING NEXT ISSUE: SELECTING A MULTIPLE VITAMIN What about different SUPPLEMENT BRANDS? Readers' Ask: NATURAL VS SYNTHETIC: What's the REAL difference? A New BOOK REVIEW And More, Of Course!

Newsletter Ideas? To submit a question or suggest a topic for the newsletter, email me at doctoryourself.com/contact.html

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: This newsletter is not in any way offered as prescription, diagnosis nor treatment for any disease, illness, infirmity or physical condition. Any form of self-treatment or alternative health program necessarily must involve an individual's acceptance of some risk, and no one should assume otherwise. Persons needing medical care should obtain it from a physician. Consult your doctor before making any health decision.

Privacy Statement: We do not sell, and we do not share, our mailing list or your email address with anyone. You may notice that there is no advertising at http://doctoryourself.com and no advertising in this newsletter. We also do not sell vitamins or other health products, except for Dr. Saul's books, which help fund these free public services.

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Copyright c 2001 and prior years Andrew W. Saul Permission to reproduce single copies of this newsletter FOR NON-COMMERCIAL, PERSONAL USE ONLY is hereby granted providing no alteration of content is made and authorship credit is given.